Do You Need More Inspections?

Do you need more inspections? 80% of you do and 20% of you need something even more important. More on the 20% in a moment.

Now, it is important to realize that all of us need to make sure the phone is ringing. Whether you are a single operation or a multi-inspector operation, you need the phone to ring and you need inspections. However, if you are a single operation, you may be at the point that you don’t really worry about the phone ringing. If this is you, then enjoy it, my friend—you are a rarity in our profession.

Most of us do need (want) more inspections. This is true even for our company, which will hit right at $2 million this year. With 16 inspectors—counting four in training—we are always looking for ways to bring in more inspections. The good news is getting more inspections is one of the easiest things to do. In fact, I have already helped thousands of inspectors literally double their business and I have helped hundreds become multi-inspector firms. The fun part is the more we do this, the easier it is becoming.

You see, over the last 15 years since I started coaching inspectors and created mastermind groups for inspectors–including companies from startups to large multi-inspector firms–I have noticed that there are simple formulas that explain why some succeed and others fail. For instance, we have discovered that there are gears that you must learn to shift into; otherwise; your business will crash and burn.

First Gear is one to three inspectors and this isn’t counting you. Second Gear is four to six inspectors and Third Gear is seven to 12 (up to a possible 15) inspectors. No one has ever taught this because they simply haven’t focused on the growth of companies like I do. This is one of the main reasons you (especially if you have been around this business for 10 or more years) see companies get up to four or five inspectors and then, for no apparent reason, lose it—having to cut the company back to three inspectors, or worse, to just themselves. There are systems that simply must be put into place or the owner will burn out—trust me, I know. I hit that spot until I hired my first consultant and then my first coach.

Also, I discovered that there is a simple formula that, when understood, helps you hit a true sweet spot for revenue, profit and freedom in your business. That formula reads: 6 + 2B + 1 = a million dollar company. Translation: 6 inspectors + 2 client coordinators (with a full-time backup call center) + 1 full-time marketing person. When you reach this point, you can simply manage the business instead of having to crawl through attics and under houses.

Now, learning to manage is a skill just like learning to inspect is a skill.

It is a skill that many decide they don’t want to learn—which is fine—until, that is, you want to sell your company and you discover that you can’t because no one in their right mind wants to buy a company that was and is built around you and you are leaving. The fun thing for me to watch is the number of people who do decide to make that leap and learn to hire, train and manage their company.

So, maybe you are part of the 80% of the folks who need more inspections (just like me) and maybe you are part of the 20% who are learning to build systems into their growing business, who are learning to manage and who are learning that they can’t do everything themselves or they will burn out. As you move into First Gear and then ramp up for Second Gear, you learn quickly that you can’t do everything, and even more importantly, you learn that others don’t automatically do what you want. These people have to be trained and managed or things simply don’t get done right and you will soon have a mess on your hands.

The good news is that there are now hundreds of inspectors with companies that are doing exactly what I have listed above: They are building systems for hiring, training and maintaining powerful systems that work whether you are on vacation or in the hospital (hopefully, on vacation). To learn more about these systems, please join me at InspectionWorldTM in Las Vegas. I will be teaching “7 Surprisingly Simple Things You Need to Know to Grow Your Business—Even Double Your Business,” on Wednesday, January 25, 12:45pm in the Bronze 3/4 Room at Bally’s.

IW is where you will find answers to questions you didn’t even know you had. See you there and say hi.